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Sidelined Senate Republicans plan to jump into 2012 budget game

Largely sidelined during the government shutdown negotiations, Senate Republicans are looking to play a starring role in the fiscal 2012 budget debate.

Freshman Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) plans to unveil a conservative budget alternative that would balance the budget within 10 years. It’s an aggressive move from a new member in the tradition-bound upper chamber, but his measure is expected to attract strong support from the GOP caucus.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had anything like that in the Senate,” said William Hoagland, who served as Republican staff director of the Senate Budget panel from 1986 to 2003. “Never from a freshman member.”

Toomey gave a presentation of his alternative budget at a meeting with Senate Republican colleagues Wednesday afternoon.

He declined to discuss the specifics of his legislation and was careful to praise the House GOP plan.

“I think Ryan deserves all the credit in the world for the very, very thoughtful, very visionary budget that has so many constructive policy reforms,” Toomey said.

But Toomey splits from Ryan on several important points, said a GOP source familiar with his plan. Toomey seeks to balance the budget in less than half the time as Ryan.

Hoagland said Toomey would have to craft an especially bold plan to balance the government’s books within a decade. He estimates Toomey would have to cut spending by 25 percent in the year 2021 — relative to the baseline projected in January by the Congressional Budget Office — to balance the budget if the economy doesn’t improve dramatically.

A GOP senator who heard Toomey’s presentation said his plan assumes more favorable economic growth over the next decade.

A Republican familiar with Toomey’s plan said that “[Toomey] uses realistic growth numbers because he recognizes that pro-growth policies have an impact on the economy. It’s not as ambitious as [the Office of Management and Budget’s] numbers.”

The source added: “It lowers spending more than Ryan’s plan in certain categories. It has lower spending than Ryan’s plan by a modest amount.”

By offering a plan to balance the budget in 10 years, Senate conservatives hope to reassert themselves into the national conversation about fiscal issues. House Republicans have received more attention in the clash over 2011 spending levels.

Without Toomey’s proposal, Senate Republicans might not have a budget blueprint to call their own.

Sessions is not sure whether he will put one out through the Budget Committee.

“Normally the minority does not offer a budget in the Senate,” he said, noting that former Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), who served as ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, did not put out an alternative budget plan last year.

Sessions said he has encouraged Toomey to play an active role.

There’s uncertainty as to whether Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) will put together a Senate Democratic budget proposal. Conrad said he is circulating several drafts but will wait in order to give the Gang of Six more time to reach a compromise on a long-term deficit reduction plan.